#@lizzyzeck

[theechosas]

Things to Do During the Coronavirus

Just because IBO canceled May exams doesn’t mean distance learning is! Working 24/7 can be difficult, but here are some things to do to relax and destress.

My top recommendation is to read The Echo! Just kidding. Unless…

As a self-proclaimed TikTok addict, my first suggestion for passing time is to hop on the trend if you haven’t already and download this blackhole of an app. TikTok is a social media platform where anyone can post funny videos, lip-syncing videos, dancing videos, and in times like these, even Coronavirus videos. I swear about 99% of users on TikTok have made at least one video complaining about the Coronavirus, so feel free to share your frustrations about distance learning on TikTok! If you don’t want to post videos, that’s okay too… I can spend hours scrolling through the “For You” page (equivalent to Instagram's “explore” and Snapchat's “discover” page) watching others’ videos. There are so many different videos that you will definitely find one (or a hundred) that you love and spend some time in blissful TikTok paradise before realizing that it’s 3 AM and you haven't moved in six hours.

(Disclaimer: please do not stay up till 3 AM watching videos and neglecting your homework! Distance learning might be difficult and fun to complain about at times, but it is still helpful and essential for our future!)

Second on the list is to hang out with your friends… but only if you're back in Shanghai. If you’re in America doing social distancing, I apologize in advance for the rest of this article…you can still watch TikToks though! To my Shanghaiers, yes, stay away from large crowds, but text some of your friends and invite them to grab some food in an area you know and have a study date. This way, you can get work done and you won't have to do it in isolation. A bunch of restaurants all over the city have opened up again, so get on DaZhong and check to see if your favorite has opened too! (In the last month, I've gone back to Cafe Du Village, Luke’s, Baker and Spice, and Rendezvous.) If leaving the house still gives you chills, try inviting a friend over to your place instead. Some compounds have restricted access to residents only; however, if yours is not one of them, you and your friend(s) can watch movies, play video games, do face masks, make TikToks… the possibilities are endless. Side note: if you can’t meet your friends in person, call them on WeChat, FaceTime, or MSTeams if you're feeling business casual. For those of you in isolation, hopefully seeing a friend's face on a screen or even texting them will make your time in solitude better.

Maybe you’re taking this quarantine time to be by yourself. So grab a book or watch a movie solo! Remember how you told yourself you wanted to finish all those books before the end of the year, or how you wanted to catch up on the latest movie releases? There's no better time than now to get on those promises. Finish your homework and take a moment to destress and relax with a good book or movie, a cup of your favorite drink, some snacks, and just vibe out!

If none of these suggestions have appealed to you, I have one last idea up my sleeve.

Challenge yourself to some self-care! No, I don’t mean do a face mask and indulge in a pint of ice cream. Unless... What I mean is check some things off your bucket list. Maybe you wanted to start a workout plan, go to the gym, or even do some home exercises in your room. Maybe your room’s a mess and you wanted to clean out some old things and redecorate. Dye your hair! Play with some makeup! Make a bullet journal or scrapbook, if you miss the good old days! Practice your gaming skills to finally rank higher than that friend!. Do whatever makes you feel relaxed and better about yourself. Take this time to do all the things that you have been putting off!

Thanks for reading! I hope this gives you inspiration on how to pass the time during distance learning. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to learn how to “renegade” once and for all.

[theechosas]

Spotlight: Ying Art Center

Looking for that perfect Instagram feed? Remember to add this museum to your  bucket list.

We’re all aware of the struggle of finding an artsy background for a cute Instagram photo; now in Shanghai there have been multiple self-proclaimed museums that provide a place for people to take photos. These museums have different themes and prices.   This past weekend I went to one called 白日梦境 (bai ri meng jing ). The museum is roughly an hour away from school, charges an 80 rmb entrance fee. On arrival, it is the first building on the block. Around the building graffiti lined the walls— an aesthetic backdrop, that made for some really nice photos.

Once you go into the museum there are two rooms on the first floor, decorated with artwork, lights, paper planes and string; when using your imagination they make for some really nice photos. 

The second floor is much larger and has more decorations and backgrounds for photos. In the basement there were four more rooms for photos and a small cafe as well.

The cafe only had ice cream, soda and water, all at a relatively high price. Upon entrance they do give you an ice cream coupon for 8 rmb, however, you can’t use multiple coupons on a single  ice cream. The ice cream itself tasted fairly good but was a bit overpriced, even with the coupon. 

The overall theme of the museum was monochromatic. I spent around an hour there but once I got to the last two rooms in the basement I was pretty tired and just wanted to relax.  

My suggestion to the readers: If you don’t mind the 80 rmb entrance fee, museum was a really nice place to take photos, however I probably wouldn’t go more than twice. Personally I thought the entrance fee was slightly expensive considering the ice cream was 25 rmb as well; if they had included free (or cheaper) ice cream I probably would have liked it a lot more. There weren’t too many people there and everyone respected each other taking photos and would wait their turn before entering occupied rooms. I thought the location of the museum was slightly inconvenient. I think if you’re just looking for some nice photos and a good time with your friends, you should definitely go at least once.